Seattle Interior Photographer | Whidbey Airbnb

If you’ve ever been to Whidbey Island, you’ll know how magical it is to experience a summer week just across the water from busy Seattle in a whole world of its own. With pastoral views, quaint little towns like Langley and Coupeville, and views of the Puget Sound all around, it’s an idyllic place to get some rest and relaxation.

This Airbnb, sweetly named The Kingfisher, is about 20 minutes from the ferry terminal and down a long private road where you end up in this serene setting right on the waterfront. The tide comes in and out dramatically offering a walkable beach at times, and a refreshing plunge from the seawall at others. It’s a great place to launch a kayak or paddleboard for a quiet moment out on the water.

The interiors of this home were so wonderful to capture! Between the open beamwork and the nearly floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows offering insane water views, there was quite literally no bad angle. The homeowners prepared for this shoot so well by supplying fresh cut (but not too precious!) flowers and plenty of charcuterie supplies and pastries. Orange juice is kind of a magical secret for vibrant photos — the color! Leaning into the styling of these shoots really helps to set the images apart from more traditional looking real estate photos. The goals couldn’t be more different. A lifestyle shoot like this takes time — like a full day! And it’s so worth it to capture the changing light and many beautiful styled scenes in addition to listing photos that show full spaces in full natural light.

I approach most every single shoot with all natural light. We were lucky to have a sunny day for this shoot, but I do the majority of my shoots in the midst of some kind of weather (we are in Seattle after all!). Whether its a hazy marine layer morning or full-on January gloom, bright light is not necessary for stunning interior images because of the technical approach that I use. It’s been tested over many years of photographing throughout the Pacific Northwest (and as far over as the East Coast!) in less than ideal weather conditions. Anything goes!

You can book the Kingfisher right here!

Laurelhurst Renovation | Seattle Interior Photographer

I’m so excited to share this renovation with you today! In one of the historic neighborhoods of Seattle, this home got a full lower level refresh with a new kitchen, living room and dining room. It’s beautifully designed for its resident, a baker (who graced us with scones on the shoot day — they were props and then became our snacks!). I worked with the Seattle interior design team Corr & Steele on this shoot day. A wonderful pair, we collaborated on making each shot just perfect.

My approach to photography is all about collaboration and creativity. I focus on maintaining consistency in my work through careful composition, natural lighting, and elevated styling. The best shoots happen when both my client and I enjoy the process of capturing beautiful spaces. I'm passionate about what I do, and shoot days are always enjoyable. By shooting tethered to a screen, we can make small adjustments to styling and composition, resulting in inviting, editorial-quality images. When it comes to editing, I prefer a clean and natural style, with minimal use of Photoshop tricks. I achieve a bright and natural light look without the use of flash, which I feel makes for a flattened image.

I’m based in Seattle but take projects all over! I was recently in Orange County and Atlanta, and often take photography projects in my hometown of Chicago. The best thing about traveling for interior photography work is seeing how architecture and design styles vary depending on the location.

Design: Corr & Steele

Construction: Darren Patt Construction

Bainbridge New Construction | Seattle Interior Design Photography

Capturing the essence of a custom-designed home on Bainbridge Island is an interior photographer's dream. When the design brilliance of Noble Interiors meets the staging finesse of McKith Interiors, we get this — a stunning and unique space that feels anything but builder-grade. As a photographer, stepping into such a thoughtfully designed space means there are few tough angles, and my job is just to compose beautiful images based on light and texture. McKith Interiors reached out to photograph this home in an editorial style. It’s hitting the MLS but real estate photos often display a home in a really specific way, and they wanted their work to be shown in a more lifestyle, natural style. This is my specialty, and I love it when I can show a space in detail with artful compositions. I get even more excited when my clients get excited about this process!

One of the most captivating aspects of photographing this home is the seamless dance between the hard finishes and thoughtful staging. Noble Interiors' design ethos, often rooted in embracing natural elements, ensures that the spaces work with natural light in a tonal quality. This not only highlights the architectural details but also creates an inviting feeling that translates through photographs. At that point McKith Interiors caught the baton and paired the space with artfully crafted furnishings and decor that highlighted the natural beauty of the home, keeping in mind its peaceful PNW setting.

The best part about when the design and furnishings are a perfect match? Editorial-worthy photographs that effortlessly blend the warmth of natural light with the sophistication of a well-staged interior. Each image not only showcases the beauty of the space but also evokes a sense of lifestyle and aspiration. From the soft glow of afternoon light filtering through the windows into the cozy great room to the dramatic interplay of the office through the striking arched glass doors, every moment captured reflects this excellent mashup of light and design.

It was so much fun to photograph this project! Haley McKinley, the owner of McKith Interiors, shadowed me on this shoot holding the “client iPad” where you can see images as I’m taking them. It’s the best way to go about a shoot like this where details really matter and small adjustments to composition make a big difference. With her brilliant eye, we were able to rotate things just a bit or nudge a chair this way or that to create visually balanced editorial images that feel different from traditional real estate photos.

Interior Design: Noble Interiors

Staging: McKith Interiors

Phinney Modern Tudor | Seattle Interior Photographer

This modern Tudor in Seattle’s Phinney Ridge neighborhood is a spectacular example of what happens when a good design and build team put their minds together to create an entirely new space. I couldn’t believe the way they changed the layout of this residence in every single way, still preserving the historical Tudor aesthetic of the home, but making it a way better place to live for the modern era. I don’t think I could pick a favorite spot, but how gorgeous is that entry?! The wallpaper and painted paneling make it such a great way to enter the home every day, and especially when greeted by sweet Nelson (spot her?).

The design was created by Kallan Nelson of Kallan Interiors. Kallan is highly experienced in residential design and it was fun to pick her brain about her process on this project:

"When our clients came to us needing help remodeling their charming 1929 Tudor home, it was clear it needed quite the overhaul but we wanted to make sure it didn't lose its character. We did this by adding archways in the entry and kitchen, selecting timeless finishes like the entry wallpaper and white oak hardwood floors, and keeping with an overall neutral color palette with the occasional pop of color. The guest bathroom being the exception as we saw this as being a fun area to go a little crazy and add mauve tile wainscoting as this was one the clients favorite colors."

The build was done by RW Anderson Homes, and left no detail untended to. The craftsmanship in this home is top notch.

I was really inspired by the arched doorways when photographing this space. Architectural details like this help delineate spaces and create natural opportunities for photo vignettes. These details create visual frames, making glimpses from room to room an actual picture. In my natural light approach to interior photography, one of the challenges is representing the light of a space accurately as it appears to the eye. This involves some technical footwork in capturing many exposures of the same composition and blending them together in my editing software. This creates a true-to-life impression of the space and honors the way the design intended for light to enter the home.

Hope you enjoy this beautiful project!

Design: Kallan Interiors

Build: RW Anderson Homes